Skiing in Bakuriani

The Saturday before MLK day, we left Gabriel with the nanny and drove to Bakuriani, a ski resort 2.5 hours west of Tbilisi.  Bakuriani is known as the more child-friendly ski area in Georgia, and unlike Gudauri (which is a bit closer), Bakuriani actually had snow.

There are two separate ski areas in Bakuriani - the bunny hill, which features a one-passenger ski lift and a rope tow - and the larger adult area with a gondola and lifts.  We stuck to the bunny hills.  Jeremy and the girls had skis borrowed from friends, and I rented a set from a guy at the bottom of the hill for about $3/hour.

Turns out, we could have brought Gabriel.  They had strollers on skis for rent.

Or perhaps he would have preferred a rocking horse on skis?

So Jeremy and I decided we'd each go up with a girl.  The problem was the lack of two-person lifts.  To go up, we had to use the rope tow - that thing with the disk attached to it, where you sit on the disk. Only we had to sit on the disk, use one hand to hold on to the rope, and the other to hold up a kid.

Yeah, it wasn't pretty.  Natasha and I fell on our first try.  I will say she was a trooper when we finally got going; I had a vise grip on her, around her armpits, and it could not have been comfortable.

When we got to the top of the hill, I realized that perhaps it was unwise not to do at least one test run by myself first.  After all, the last time I went skiing, I was pregnant with Natasha but did not know it yet.  That was awhile ago.

So I positioned myself in snow plow, with Natasha between my legs, but I just could not get going.  Later I figured out that those $3/hour skis were not waxed, or rough-bottomed, or something.  Anyway, Jeremy ended up having to go down with Zoia, then take off his skis and walk back up to get Natasha.  

I skied down to Zoia and got her up, then we actually got going.  The only proof I have is this crummy picture from Jeremy's Blackberry.  Note the armpit stranglehold.  Yeah, I'm not a good enough skier to teach someone else how to ski.

When we got to the bottom of the hill, I asked Z if she wanted to do that again.  She didn't.  Phew.  Neither did I.  We hung out at the (very overpriced) cafe and had tea and juice while J and N did a few more runs.

We bought Natasha an apres-ski cream horn.

Then we found a restaurant and had lunch, including spicy and delicious "Mexican potatoes" and chkmeruli, which is one of my favorite Georgian dishes.

Chkmeruli seems to come slightly differently every place I order it, but it is always made of chicken and always has lots of garlic.  The best varieties, like this one, come swimming in a bowl of delicious and surely fattening sauce.  This one tasted like it had yogurt in it.  I really need to do a post about Georgian food.

On the way home we stopped for some Georgian fruit roll-ups (hanging on a rope at the top of the photo).

The woman tried to sell me some pine cone jam - really, there were tiny pine cones in it.  I should have bought some just to taste it.

And then we drove home.  The crazy wealth juxtapositions in Georgia never cease to amaze me.  We drive through villages like this:

And then stop at rest stops like this (which contains a grocery store and clean bathrooms!):

Could it be?

Why yes ... I think it is.  Spring is here.  It's kind of stubbornly dragging its feet as most days do start out in the high 20s or low 302, but the only precipitation we've had in the last five days has been rain.  And the snow is melting.  And I even see a couple of buds peeking up through the soil where the landscapers have begun beautifying the Embassy compound.  AND it's supposed to be in the 60s on Sunday!  Pascha always seems to bring in the spring.

It's not quite warm enough to just wear our raincoats (even if they are lined with fleece), but the down jackets are starting to feel slightly overkill-ish. 

Spring is ... nowhere to be seen

The last couple days have been tauntingly sunny.  I bundled the girls up and took them to the playground on Thursday, where they swung happily while I faced the sun and soaked up months' worth of Vitamin D despite the 20-ish degree weather. 

Thursday was March 8, or International Women's Day.  The Russians really like this holiday.  There were signs all over the city reminding people of it.  Jeremy took advantage of one of the impromptu flower stands that sprung up outside the metro (in a city already overrun with flower stands, I might add) just for the occasion and brought home these:

They are currently in the windowsill of our office/spare room/sewing room.  I am not sure how long I will be able to keep them alive, but for now they are making the room smell amazing.

And I guess the ducks swimming on the no-longer frozen river is actually proof that spring is on its way ...

but the two feet of snow outside our back doors beg to differ. 

Snow!!! Snow!!! It's not supposed to snow!!!!! What the ****!!!

So, it snowed yesterday. And how do I know that? Well, due to airline issues, I'm still here. My new flight is set for Sunday, so I'm in good old Armenia for another 5 days. And if that isn't enough, it snowed!!!!! Damn snow. It's 65 degrees and sunny on Monday. Masha and I were out playing cards, enjoying some hot chocolate and teas at some of the nice outdoor cafes that have sprung up around the Opera square in the last couple of years. No more trees in the area, but the shady umbrellas that have taken their place are a nice touch. Still waiting until they brick all the grass, but I geuss that progress is still a couple of years away. They did spray paint some of the brick green on some of the boardwalks. Wonder if that is their version of "greening up Yerevan"? After all, it was Earth Day on Sunday.

Anyway, I digress. So on Monday, Masha and I are outside playing cards. On Tuesday, after I find out I'm not leaving until Sunday (flights aren't a regular thing in Armenia unless you want to fly to Moscow, and I'm not quite up for that adventure yet), it's raining. And then it's snowing. Huge clumps of the stuff. So, Masha and I drag some friends out and we spend 4 hours INSIDE a tea shop, lamenting the weather. Try it sometime and let me know how depressed you get.

Anyway, so after a depressing day (but highlighted by the fact that I get to stay another 5 days with Masha), we came home, made lasagna and watched a movie. I was going to put in "300" (yes it's out on DVD here), but since we had watched Apocalypto on Monday, I didn't think that Masha could handle all of the blood and guts for a second night. So, it was a "Swingers" night. She'd never seen it. Don't think it's going to be in her top ten listh, though. She did marvel at how Vince Vaughn's body has kind of gone downhill since that movie. Tonight I think we'll try "Spys Like Us". You can never go wrong with a classic.

Well, now I'm back to my paper. 22 pagos done, but I haven't touched it since last Thursday or Friday. Need to get back to it.
Anywho, enjoy yourself and your Starbucks. I'll be here, typing away and yelling at someone to make the snow stop!!!!! I'm supposed to be on vacation!!!